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Chiapas Organizations Ask Support: Community Activists Face Harassment and Intimidation Tactics

Human rights and community leaders in Mexico continue to experience threats—including death threats. They ask for help from global activists to protect their lives and their community work.

Join us in demanding that the Mexican government respect the human rights of activists. By completing the form below, the following letter will be delivered to these Mexican authorities:

Felipe Calderón Hinojosa
President of Mexico

Jorge Carlos Hurtado Valdez
Governor of Campeche

Alfredo Elías Ayub
General Director, Federal Commission of Electricity (CFE)

Juan Sabines Guerrero
Governor of Chiapas

Amador Rodríguez Lozano
Minister of Justice in the State of Chiapas

*Please select 'Other' for your State at the bottom of the drop-down menu if you are not in the U.S. Thank you.

June 20, 2013

Subject:

En solidaridad con los representantes de las comunidades y municipalidades del Estado de Chiapas, pido su inmediata acción en los casos presentados por organizaciones locales sobre los actos de intimidación y otras violaciones de los derechos humanos causados por la Comisión Federal de Electricidad.

Es inaceptable que estas comunidades y activistas estén sufriendo estos abusos. En Diciembre de 2008, 1.118 amigos de Grassroots Internacional enviaran cartas en apoyo a los problemas indicados por los activistas locales contra la CFE. En este momento, CFE no ha desistido en las demandas contra Sara López y Joaquín Aguilar, de la Resistencia Civil, y ni tampoco cesado sus actos de intimidación y hostigamiento contra las comunidades y sus representantes.

En la última semana, comunidades como La Gloria, del municipio de Venustiano Carranza, y Don Pedro, municipalidad de Sitalá, han sido impactados por actos inaceptables por parte de la CFE. Esta es la misma situación que denunciamos en diciembre sobre la intimidación que CFE usa para reprimir las comunidades que defienden sus derechos. En el caso de la comunidad de Don Pedro, los actos de CFE resultaron en la muerte de un campesino y varios heridos.

Además, quiero expresar mi solidaridad con Norma Cacho que ha recibido amenazas por teléfono y que ha sido victimizada por el hostigamiento. Norma es miembro de CIEPAC, otra organización aliada de Grassroots in México.

En mi entendimiento, la CFE continúa con la misma estrategia de generación de conflictos entre comunidades de campesinos e indígenas en Chiapas a través de la manipulación de las autoridades municipales, ejidales y comunales. Estas tácticas de “dividir para controlar” van a crear más muertes.

Yo y otros amigos de Grassroots pedimos su acción urgente para cesar estos abusos a los derechos humanos de las familias de campesinos.

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English translation of the letter:

In solidarity to the representatives of different communities and municipalities of the state of Chiapas, I ask for your immediate action to address the issues presented by local organizations about the intimidation and other human rights violations caused by the Federal Commission of Electricity.

It is unacceptable that these local communities and organizers are still facing such problems. In December of 2008, 1,118 friends of Grassroots International sent letters to support the claims of local organizers against CFE. At this point, CFE has neither dropped the charges against Sara Lopez and Joaquin Aguilar, from the Civil Resistance, nor has it stopped its intimidation and harassment tactics against other local communities and organizers.

In the last weeks, communities in Chiapas such as La Gloria, municipality of Venustiano Carranza, and Don Pedro, municipality of Sitalá, have been targeted by unacceptable tactics of CFE. It is the same situation that we had denounced in December about the intimidation CFE is using to repress communities who defend their rights. In the case of Don Pedro community, CFE’s actions resulted in the death of a farmer and several people wounded.

Also, I want to express my solidarity to Norma Cacho who has received threats by phone and has been victimized with harassment. Norma is a member of CIEPAC, another Grassroots International ally in Mexico.

From what I understand, CFE continues with the same strategy to generate conflicts in indigenous and peasant communities in Chiapas by manipulating local ejido, communal and municipal authorities. The tactics of divide and rule will generate more deaths.

I and other friends of Grassroots ask for your prompt action to stop such human rights violations against rural families.